Five Spice Chicken Tacos

Taco Tuesday gets a refresh: five spice chicken tacos with mango jalapeño drizzle.

Disclosure: Thank you to one of our favorite products, Siggi’s for partnering on this recipe.

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Everyone can get excited about taco night. Tacos are easy to personalize with lots of fillings and shells, and everyone can adjust their spice level as necessary. For example, my personal spice level is one molecule beyond mild whereas Chris will never accept defeat and will try whatever is spiciest. That means I like a little dairy (maybe some feta or sour cream- in this case the best flavor of Siggi’s for taco night) but Chris might add extra jalapeño or hot sauce. 

When it comes to spicing whatever filling you’re using, most people rely on a ‘taco seasoning’ packet. And that’s fine. I like convenience too. But there are no rules that say you can’t go outside of said ‘taco seasoning’. That’s where five spice chicken tacos come into play. Five spice powder typically contains ground cinnamon, anise, fennel, pepper and cloves although I have seen some blends that are slightly different. I like how five spice chicken adds brightness to the chicken thanks to the anise and fennel. It’s incredibly unexpected and wonderfully aromatic. 

You’ll also notice how the additional taco toppings in this recipe aren’t the same ones you’ll find at most taco nights. While you could add shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes and cheddar cheese…you might realize you don’t really need it. In fact, our trip to Copenhagen solidified that for us. We both agree we had the best tacos of our lives were in Denmark (well Chris ranks it #2 to some fresh fish tacos in St Thomas but I was sun stroked on the bathroom floor that night so I can’t attest to that). Those tacos had no lettuce, tomatoes, rice or cheddar cheese. And they made me cry tears of culinary joy. 

What I’m saying is this: experiment with spices and toppings when it comes to taco night or pizza night, or any of those dinners where things may have gotten a little bland and expected. With the five spice tacos we like a little crunch (radishes) and a lot of herbs (green onion and cilantro) with a fresh squeeze of lime. For the dairy I love with my tacos? Mango & Jalapeño Siggi’s yogurt. I could not have made a better topping. It’s just spicy enough for me and the perfect thickness. And YES there are real actual chunks of fresh mango (but not too many where it throws the texture). Since Siggi’s is lower in sugar and high in protein it’s a double duty ingredient that’s a smarter choice than a ton of cheese or full fat sour cream. And if you flip it over, it’s super simple ingredients. Again…I could not have made it better myself. Important note however: this specific flavor of Siggi’s is seasonal, so if you happen to make this when this flavor is not available, use plain Siggi’s and add your own mango and jalapeño. 

Five Spice Chicken Tacos

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large chicken breasts (about 1.5 pounds)
• 1 cup chicken stock stock
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 thumb peeled ginger, grated
• 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
• 1.5 teaspoons Five Spice Blend
• 4 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1/2 small jalapeño
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1, 5.3 oz cup Siggi’s 2% mango & jalapeño yogurt (plain Siggi’s with minced mango and jalapeño if this seasonal specialty isn’t available)
• corn tortillas
• 1 fresh lime, cut into wedges

DIRECTIONS

1. Poach chicken in 1/2 cup stock for 15 -20 min in a covered pan over medium heat on the stove. Check to make sure chicken internal temperature is 165 F. 
2. Remove chicken when done and place in stand mixer with paddle attachment to shred. Alternatively, shred using two forks.
3. While chicken is being shredded, add remaining 1/2 cup of stock, ginger, tomato paste and honey to original cooking pan. Stir to combine.
4. Add shredded chicken back in, sprinkle with five spice powder and stir.  
5. Taste and add salt if needed.
6. To build tacos, heat corn tortillas on a cast iron skillet, flipping each after several minutes.
7. Add chicken to each taco and top with herbs, a squeeze of lime, extra jalapeño, radishes and a drizzle of the mango and jalapeño Siggi’s.